Won't Miss #56 - slow payers (reflection)

During my twenty-three-year absence from the U.S., a new way of doing business popped up. It became possible for people to do something which I never imagined that they'd allow them to do. That is, they could check themselves out at the register. In fact, there are some places which only do self-check-out ("Fresh & Easy"). At first, I found the prospect intimidating. Now, I wish every store had that option.

The reason that I love self-checking out is that it means I don't have to wait behind some granny or grampy who doesn't seem to understand the fact that money will have to exchange hands at the end of the transaction. The idea that the logical conclusion of events should also be preceded by the removing of ones wallet from a bag or pocket also seemed to come as a shock to many customers in Japan as they only reached for their cash when the checker had his or her hand (or cash tray) out and asked for it.

There are still slow payers in the U.S., but the use of debit and credit cards as well as self-check-out makes it less frequent and offers a way to get around such people. I certainly don't miss the slow paying people who seemed to always be in line in front of me in Tokyo. 

Won't Miss #379 - the "lesser" customer

This woman at Adores gaming center was giving some sort of discount card or ticket to everyone who came in, but didn't offer any to my husband and I. This is despite the fact that we actually patronize their establishments. 

Walking down the streets of Tokyo or going into shops, you see people sometimes handing out free samples, tissues, coupons, and flyers. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you will be given a flyer regardless of foreignness. About a third of the time, however, you are not given tissue packets. And an even smaller amount of the time, you are given samples or coupons. I'm not sure what the deal is, but I can see when every person who walks by is offered something and I am not. It's hard to conclude anything other than it is highly likely that foreigners aren't seen as important enough potential customers to be given the same treatment as Japanese. There might be an assumption that we can't read what we are given or the people who hand out samples may have been explicitly told not to "waste" them on certain groups of people (including foreigners). 

I won't miss being seen as so unimportant as a customer that I am not extended the same benefits, small as they might be, as Japanese people.